Brady Manek: 'I didn't expect to be in this stage' after transferring from Oklahoma

Brady Manek had a successful four seasons at Oklahoma from 2017-2021, but he has taken his game to another level during his fifth-year at North Carolina this season. After averaging 11.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game over his four years with the Sooners, Manek is now excelling with the Tar Heels.

Putting up 15.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on 49.5% shooting, Manek has played a pivotal role in North Carolina’s success this season and is a big reason why the Tar Heels will be playing in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night. Through North Carolina’s first four March Madness games, Manek is averaging 21.5 points and eight rebounds per outing.

Meeting with reporters this week, Manek was asked what it has meant to him to be able to transfer to such a storied program like North Carolina and make a Final Four run this season.

“It’s special,” Manek said. “When I decided to come here, I knew the history. I knew that North Carolina plays in big games. I didn’t expect to be in this stage, but the way the year has gone, the last month and a half for us, it’s been unbelievable. … And we’ve been playing really well and we’ve earned it – and that is why we are here.”

Manek heads into the Tar Heels’ Final Four matchup with longtime rival Duke fresh off a 19-point, eight-rebound performance against Saint Peter’s in the Elite Eight – and the 6-foot-9 forward will need another big performance to get North Carolina into the national championship game.

No. 8 seeded North Carolina and No. 2 Duke are set to tipoff at 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, with TBS carrying the national broadcast. The winner will face the No. 1 Kansas/No. 2 Villanova winner in Monday night’s national championship game.